


A thousand deaths

by shutupeccles



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Implied Torture, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-28
Updated: 2010-05-28
Packaged: 2017-11-04 10:00:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/392581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shutupeccles/pseuds/shutupeccles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin vowed to die a thousand deaths for Arthur. Their enemies hold him to it.<br/>(there's only 2 actual character deaths, the rest are implied)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A thousand deaths

  


Pain

PAIN

**PAIN**

 

a pathetic excuse for breath wisped out  
no air came in

_ this time _

  
a heart-beat stuttered, faltered, ceased

_ please _

the spark in his cerebral cortex faded   
  
he was dead  
  
@~~~@  
  
a spark ignited 

_ no _

the heart jolted minutely, then stammered, then beat  

_ no more _

  
the bellows in his chest drew air in, then forced it out to draw in more  
  
  
gold-shimmering blue eyes opened  
  
Mordred and Morgana stood above him  
  
  
PAIN - of a different kind  
  
panic - he looked for the one he needed to see  
  
Arthur - unharmed as promised, yet...  
  
pain  
  
cold metal between his ribs  
  
Pain  
  
as Mordred twists the blade  
  
PAIN  
  
as Mordred twists further while pulling the jagged edge out  
  
 **PAIN**  
  
his mangled heart and lung are pulled out with it  
he dies seeing greater pain in the one he needed to see.  
  
@~~~@  
  
the spark burns 

he lost count

the heart throbs 

after 300 deaths

the lungs squeeze 

he will endure them all

the eyes open 

to keep Arthur alive

the tear falls from King Arthur's face   
  
the whisper roars through Merlin's soul:  
  
 _I would rather be dead_

he cannot let that be

_ Let me die instead _

he pledged to die a thousand deaths

_ Use your magic to stop them _

if they would spare Arthur's life

_ You don't deserve this _

so they killed him

_ I set him free _

a thousand different ways

_ This is my fault _

and made Arthur watch every one. 


End file.
